DOD confirms death of Wisconsin soldier

DARLINGTON, Wis. — The U.S. Department of Defense says a soldier from Wisconsin was one of two men killed when insurgents attacked their unit in Kandahar province, Afghanistan Wednesday.

Twenty-four-year-old specialist Jakob Roelli of Darlington died after his unit was hit with gunfire. Spc. Robert Dyas of Nampa, Idaho was also killed in the attack. The soldiers were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division based at Fort Riley, Kan.

Roelli’s father, Richard Roelli, says his son was “the best of the best” and was in the Army Special Forces for two years. Roelli grew up on a farm, graduated from Darlington High School in 2006 and attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh before joining the military.